Bracelet.



H. GENNEL.

BRACELET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20,19I5.

1,224,528; Patented May 1, 1917.

Suva/whoa 291, I flaw/M1 W EMT HENRY GINNEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BRACELET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May it, 191?.

Application filed April 20, 1915. Serial No. 22,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GINNEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bracelets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates particularly to the construction of what are commonly known as spring expansion bracelets, in which each link is made up of two relatively movable members with an inclosed spiral spring which serves to maintain the two members normally in their contracted relation but permits relative longitudinal movement thereof, so that the bracelet as a whole may be enlarged that it may be slipped over the hand of the wearer. In such bracelets the inner member of one link is engaged at one end with the adjacent end of the outer member of the next link. When bracelets of this character are made up in solid gold and with the usual care which is exercised in the making of articles of solid gold,there is little difficulty by reason of the binding of the spring within the relatively movable members, but in cheap bracelets, in which steel springs are employed and'in the manufacture of which comparatively little care can be exercised because of the small margin of profit, it often happens that the springs are injured through being compressed beyond the proper limit of compression and that the springs are caused to kink or bend laterally and bind against the sides of the inclosing members of the links, thereby causing them to stick and preventing the links from resuming their contracted condition. The object of this invention is to overcome the difiiculties which are found to exist particularly in cheap bracelets, but the improvements are, of course, equally applicable to the more expensive bracelets. In accordance with the invention means are provided to prevent the excessive compression of the springs and other means are provided to give the springs proper bearings, both longitudinally and laterally, to prevent the kinking or lateral distortion of the springs which causes them to bind against the link members, and otherwise to eliminate friction as far as possible. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which Figure l is a view in perspective of a spring expansion bracelet which embodies the invention in connection with a wrist or bracelet watch.

Fig. 2 is a detail view, on a larger scale, of a portion of a bracelet with the outer members of several links broken away so as to show details of construction within.

Fig. 3 is a detail View in longitudinal section on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views in section of one of the outer link members, the plane of section of Fig. 4 being indicated by the line 4.& of Fig. 5.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of one of the inner link members, Fig. 7 being in section on the plane indicated by the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the roller hereinafter referred to.

In Fig. 1' of thedrawing the spring expansion bracelet a, composed of a series of eight links, is shown as connected at its ends to a wrist or bracelet watch Z). Each of the links of the bracelet is composed of an outer member 0, an inner member d and a coiled spring 6 inclosed within the inner and outer members.

Each outer member 0 is composed of side pieces of held in spaced relationship preferably by fiat wire loops 0 and c which are soldered in place. The loop 0 is preferably short, as shown, and serves not only to hold the pieces 0 in spaced relationship but for connection with the inner member of the next link as hereinafter described. The loop 0 which serves, at the other end, to support the side pieces in spaced relationship, has its limbs preferably made somewhat longer than the limbs of the loop 0 in order that they may serve as stops in cooperation with another part of the link hereinafter mentioned, to prevent excessive compression of the coiled spring.

The inner member d is a continuous loop, preferably of flattened wire, which is grooved on its inner side, as indicated at d. This inner member d lies between the side pieces 0" of the outer member 0 and, extending at one end beyond the outer member c, engages the loop or bar 0 of the outer member 0 of the next link, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Within the inner member d is placed a spiral spring 6 which is supported by and has a bearing at several points about its cir cumference within the two sides of the grooved-wire loop (Z, so that it cannot readily be thrust out of line. At one end the spring thrusts (but not directly) against the curved loop 0 of the outer member 0, and at the other end (also not directly) against the corresponding end of the inner member (Z. The concave inner face of the loop 0 does not of itself furnish a proper seat for the end of the spring, its tendency being to cause lateral distortion of the spring. To meet this difficulty there is interposed between the end of the spring and the concave face of the loop 0 a ball 7' which furnishes at all times a proper seat for the end of the spring and insures the transmission of pres sure or reaction in the axial line of the spring, so that there is no tendency of the spring to become distorted laterally and therefore to bear with undesirable friction against the loop cl.

At the other end the spring bears, not directly against the concave inner end of the loop (Z, but against an interposed roller 9, which is formed with flanged ends 9 which, having a diameter greater than the width of the opening of the link d, prevent, when the bracelet is completed, the lateral displacement of the roller. This roller, having a spherical center 9 not only furnishes a suitable seat for the corresponding end of the spring 6, but its ends, traveling in the concaved sides 0 of the outer member, guide the inner member 1n its relative movements wlthout friction, the roller being free to rotate on its own axis. Any roughness or inequalities in the grooved inner surface of the side pieces 0 is therefore overcome without interfering with the proper relative movement of the two members of the link.

It will now be seen that notwithstanding the absence of extreme care in the formation and assembling of the parts of this bracelet and the use of relatively cheap materials, the possibility of sticking of the members as well as of undue compression of the springs is reduced to a minimum.

It will be understood further that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement to suit different patterns without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A link for a spring expansion bracelet comprising an outer member with side pieces grooved on their inner faces and loops to hold the side pieces in spaced relationship, an inner member, an interposed spring and a guide piece having its ends engaged in the grooves of the side pieces of the outer member, one of the loops of the outer member having its limbs extended to engage said guide piece to prevent excessive compression of the spring.

2. A link for. a'spring expansion bracelet comprising an outer member with side pieces grooved on their inner faces, an inner member, an interposed spring and a roller interposed loosely between one end of the spring and the adjacent end of the inner member and having its ends entering the grooves of the side pieces of the outer member and movable freely in the side members longitudinally thereof.

This specification signed this fourteenth day of April, A. D., 1915.

HENRY GINNEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents,

. Washington, I). C. 

